Bead Blast System Cleans Brazed Parts
October 15, 2007
Guyson Corporation has designed and built an automated rotary blast system to remove scale and flux residues from brazed components. The bead blasting process facilitates quality inspection and ensures that no surface deposits are later released into the final assembled product.
One of a family of multiple-gun rotary models made by the machinery manufacturer, the RXS-900 beadblast system has six ball bearing spindles around the perimeter of its 42-inch diameter indexing turntable. Custom designed fixtures securely cradle the parts without obscuring areas to be blasted. A precision cam indexer conveys the fixtured component from the front load/unload stations through blasting at two stations within the finishing enclosure and air wash blow-off at a separate station inside the cabinet. The table indexer is sufficiently accurate to permit automated loading by a robot or pick-and-place device.
At each blasting station, four or more blast guns are bracketed in fixed position at the correct angles and distances for concentrated impact treatment of target surfaces. During the timed blast cycle, the component is rotated at controlled speed, enabling uniform 360-degree
coverage. The spindle rotation speed is adjustable, and each blast gun has its own pressure regulator to enable fine-tuning of the beadblast process.
The control console of the rotary blast system features a touch screen human-machine interface (HMI) that displays essential process data, such as spindle RPM or remaining cycle time, graphically and in text, quickly and accurately indicating the status of key system functions. When linked to electronic sensors via the machine's programmable logic controller, the HMI expedites recognition of fault indications such as low media level or insufficient pressure in the plant air supply. A beacon light on top of the console shows workers and supervisors when special attention is needed.
To withstand the effects of production beadblasting, the system has numerous abrasion resistance features, including rubber lining of the blast chamber and the cyclone media reclaimer, boron carbide-lined blast nozzles and urethane rubber media hoses and ducting. The safety glass view windows on both sides of the cabinet are protected from frosting by a disposable inner window gasketed in a quick-change frame.
Prospective users of automated bead blasting systems are encouraged to submit sample components for free laboratory testing and application engineering evaluation at the machine builder's factory in northeastern New York State.
